Based on the best-selling books by Louise Rennison, Gurinder Chadha's new film is a comic portrait of growing pains filmed in Brighton and Eastbourne.

For the target audience - teenage girls - this light-hearted slice of angst and alienation will strike a chord as the socially-awkward heroine takes kissing lessons and endures the humiliation of luminous fake tan.

Parental woes momentarily cast a dark shadow before a fairy-tale resolution ensures every girl gets her guy. The script sensibly washes out its mouth, reserving its most choice language (slapper, slut and slag) for comic effect, while discussions of boys and sex reflect the protagonists' inexperience and innocence, referring affectionately to cleavage as "bazoongas".

Teen-speak captures the spirit and energy of hip, modern youth, while the fresh-faced cast delivers natural, endearing performances.

Georgia Nicholson (Groome) is a typical 14-year-old: permanently embarrassed by her loved-up parents (Davies, Taylor), desperate to fit in at school and frustrated by her inability to find a boyfriend.

Thankfully, she has her best mates Jas (Tomlinson), Rosie (Henshaw) and shrinking violet Ellen (Grewal) to lift her spirits.

When handsome brothers Tom (Bourke) and Robbie (Johnson) move to the area, Jas sets her sights on Tom while Georgia vows to win Robbie's heart.

Unfortunately, her sworn enemy Slaggy Lindsay (Nixon) also has designs on the new boy, as well as the best cleavage in the entire year group to distract his attention. Friction between Georgia and her nemesis intensifies when both girls decide to hold their 15th birthday parties on the same day.

Meanwhile, Georgia watches in horror as her father is forced to leave home for a lucrative job in New Zealand, on the understanding that the rest of the family will move south once he is settled.

The separation drives Georgia's lonely mother into the hunky arms of a thirty-something builder called Jem (Jones) but is there more to the handyman than meets the eye?

Angus, Thongs And Perfect Snogging is energetic and charming, but has very limited appeal outside the target audience.